Land leveler



R. D. HAYCOCK El AL LAND LEVELER Aug. 30, 1938.

Filed May 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 R\\ 4 NM zYQ R SQ filL I Tu finer my md.

Aug. 30, 1938. R. D. HAYCOCK ET AL LAND LEVELER Filed May 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w; Turner fi me elss ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1938 LAND LEVELER Rex D. Haycock, Zurich,

Mont, and Alma L.

Turner, Declo, Idaho Application May 20, 1937, Serial No. 143,816

6 Claims.

sured of easy draft and efiiciency in the working thereof.

and novel manner.

A further object of vision of a leveler of In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan View of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

a fragmentary vertical longitudinal a, sectional View taken on the line 3 looking in the direction of the 'Figure 4 is 44 of Figure arrows.

Figure 5 is. a fragmentary detail sectional view on the line 55 of Figure llooking in the direction of the arrows. Y

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional View taken. on the line 66 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a sectional View on the line 11 of Figure 2 looking in A involvmg spaced side sills Ill, opposite end pieces ll, intermediate cross pieces l2 and diagonally disposed front and rear pairs of braces I3 and M, respectively. Removed the end pieces H between the side sills I0 of the frame A are supplemental end these being parallel with the said pieces naled upon an axle I9, each end being removably fitted in an axle boxing 20 carried exteriorly of the frame A upon an adjacent side sill I 0 thereof. It is preferable to have each side sill I0 at opposite ends thereof slotted at 2| aifording entrance clearances for the axles I 9 of the rollers B. These the frame are of a Built into the frame A adjacent its front or forward draft end is a platform 25' preferably and fixed at the proper locations on this carrier 21 are eyes 29 with which are loosely connected hangers 3|) fastened in forwardly convergent side arms 3| of a foot treadle 32 and such arms near their rearmost ends are linked at 33 to a cross piece l2 of the frame A for vertical swinging of said treadle, the arms 3| being in overriding relation to the said cross piece l2 with which the treadle has linkage connection. The blade carrier 2'! close to the lower edge thereof has fitted therein staples 34 to which are loosely connected draft links 35, these being pivoted at 36 to fixed brackets 3'! on the sills |D ahead of the said carrier.

The treadle 32 carries forwardly thereof tread planks 38 arranged to provide a clearance 39, one plank 38 being fitted with an eye 43 to which is loosely connected a lifter link 4| connected with a lifter lever 32 pivoted at 33 to a bracket M rigidly carried upon an upstanding tilting post 45 which near its lower end is pivoted at 46 by a fixture 41 beneath the platform plane 26 to a longitudinal centrally located rib piece 48. The post carries a guide 53 for the lever 32 and by the latter under operation of the same the treadle 32 can be raised when the same is freed from a latching mechanism hereinafter fully described.

Carried by the post 35 are upper and lower keepers 53 and 5|, respectively, suitably spaced from each other and these are adapted to be engaged by the treadle 32 for sustaining the same in two positions. In one position, that is to say, when this treadle 32 engages with the keeper 5| the scraper blade 23 is in ground engaging and working position and when the treadle 32 engages with the keeper 53 the scraper blade is in inactive position or out of ground working activity. The post 35 at its upper end is formed with a. handle or grip 52 said post at 53 is a spring tensioning device involving an arcuate shaped plunger 54 working through a guide 55 and a coiled compression spring 53 which is about said plunger 54 resting against an abutment 5i thereon and the guide 55, respectively, the purpose of the tensioning device being to hold the post normally in a position to have one or the other of the keepers 5D and 5| latched with the treadle 32, the latching of the keeper clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. To free either keeper or 5| from latched engagement with the treadle 32, it is necessary to manually tilt the post 45 in a forward direction and in this manner shifting the keepers 53 and 5| thereon out of the path of the said treadle.

The treadle latching mechanism comprises a pair of upstanding laterally swinging latching jaws 58 pivotally supported in spaced relation to each other at 59 next to their lower ends in a cross bar 33 fixed transversely upon the rib 48 beneath the platform 23 while straddling this rib is a foot pedal 3| horizontally pivoted at 32 beneath the platform 23 while its foot stirrup 33 rises above said platform through a clearance 33 therein. This pedal 3| overhangs a saddle bar 35 engaged with a pair of vertical pull pins 33 slidable through the cross bar 33 and secured in a coupling bar 6'! having elongated slots 63 therein for receiving cross bolts 63 carried in lateral wings 10, these being in pairs spaced from each other and accommodating therebetween the coupling bar 31. The pull pins 63 between the cross bar 60 and the coupling bar 6'! have about the same coiled compression springs 1| functioning while pivoted to thematic latching of scraper holding it in a to normally hold the latching jaws 58 engaged with combined striker and keeper members 12 fixed to the arms 3| of the treadle 32 within the clearance 39 between the tread planks 38 of said treadle and thus the treadle so engaged will be held latched with the keeper 5| on the post 45 and the scraper blade 28 in ground working position. When the pedal 63 is manually depressed, the jaws 58 will be unlatched from the arms 3| of the treadle 32 so that when the post 45 has been moved forwardly to shift the keepers 50 and 5| out of the path of this treadle 32 by operating the lever 42 the treadle 32 will become raised bringing it into a position for the engagement of the keeper 5| on the post 45 therewith and thus the blade 28 will be out of ground working position.

The latching jaws 38 are formed with the beveled faces 13 for coacting with the beveled portions M of the strikers 12 so that when pressure is applied to the tread planks 38 of the treadle 32 the latter on the lowering thereof will be caused to snap into latched engagement with the jaws 13, this, of course,rbeing effected subsequent to the swinging of the post 45 forwardly to have the keeper 53 cleared from engagement with the said treadle 32 when the latter is in raised position and the blade 28 inactive for ground working purposes. The latching of the treadle 32 by the jaws 58 brings the blade 28 into ground working position and in this position will be latched or locked.

In the draft of the leveler, when the blade 28 is in ground working position, the land will be scraped and the rollers B having traction on the ground surface will not retard the advancement of the leveler during the operation thereof for the leveling of the land. An operator of the leveler stands upon the platform 26 and operates the treadle 32, pedal 63, lever 42 and post 45 in accordance with requirements of adjustment of the leveler. By pressing upon the treadle 32 the blade 28 on the carrier 21 therefor can be caused to penetrate the land or ground and the autothis treadle with the keeper 5| holds the scraper in ground working position.

The foremost end of the frame A has suitable draft rigging connected therewith, a portion of the rigging being indicated at 15 for the advancement of the leveler over the land or ground for leveling operation.

Carried by the treadle 32 are pivotally mounted shims l3 and TI, respectively, these being normally held out of action by releasable pins 18 and the purpose of said shims is to bring the same into position to coact with the jaws 13 and also with the keeper 5| so that the blade 28 will have minute or fine adjustment when latched by the jaws I3 with the said keeper 5|, the details of the mounting of the said shims being shown in Figure 5 of the drawings.

What is claimed is:

v1. A leveler of the kind described comprising a frame, fore and aft rollers journaled in said frame and each having traction slats disposed in close longitudinal relation to each other peripherally thereof, a vertically adjustable scraper supported by the frame between said rollers, a foot pedal operated locking mechanism for said determined position, means for holding the scraper in active or inactive positions, means for raising the scraper to an inactive position or lowering the same to an active position, and a swinging treadle supporting said scraper.

treadle for holding the scraper in two positions,

2. A leveler of the kind described comprising a frame, fore and aft rollers journaled in said frame and each having traction slats disposed in close longitudinal relation to each other peripherally thereof, a vertically adjustable scraper supported by the frame between said rollers, a foot pedal operated locking mechanism for said scraper holding it in a determined position, means for holding the scraper in active or inactive positions, means for raising the scraper to an inactive position or lowering the same to an active position, a swinging treadle supporting said scraper, and tread planks on said treadle.

3. A leveler of the kind described comprising a frame, fore and aft rollers journaled in said frame and each having traction slats disposed in close longitudinal relation to each other peripherally thereof, a vertically adjustable scraper supported by the frame between said rollers, a foot pedal operated locking mechanism for said scraper holding it in a determined position, means for raising the scraper to an inactive position or lowering the same to an active position, a swinging treadle supporting said scraper, tread planks on said treadle, and keepers engageable by the treadle for holding the scraper in two positions.

4. A leveler of the kind described comprising a frame, fore and aft rollers journaled in said frame and each having traction slats disposed in close longitudinal relation to each other peripherally thereof, a vertically adjustable scraper supported by the frame between. said rollers, a foot pedal operated locking mechanism for said scraper holding it in a determined position, means for raising the scraper to an inactive position or lowering the same to an active position, a swinging treadle supporting said scraper, tread planks on said treadle, keepers engageable by the and means active for urging the keepers into the path of movement of the treadle.

5. A leveler of the kind described comprising a frame, fore and aft rollers journaled in said frame and each having traction slats disposed in close longitudinal relation tov each other peripherally thereof, a vertically adjustable scraper supported by the frame between said rollers, a foot pedal operated locking mechanism for said scraper holding it in a determined position, means for raising the scraper to an inactive position or lowering the same to an active position, a swinging treadle supporting said scraper, tread planks on said treadle, keepers engageable by the treadle for holding the scraper in two positions, means active for urging the keepers into the path of movement of the treadle, and draft links connected with the frame and with the said scraper.

6. A leveler of the kind described comprising a frame, fore and aft rollers journaled in said frame and each having traction slats disposed in close longitudinal relation to each other peripherally thereof, a vertically adjustable scraper supported by the frame between said rollers, a foot pedal operated locking mechanism for said scraper holding it in a determined position, means for raising the scraper to an inactive position or lowering the same to an active position, a swinging treadle supporting said scraper, tread planks on said treadle, keepers engageable by the treadle for holding the scraper in two positions, means active for urging the keepers into the path of movement of the treadle, draft links connected with the frame and with the said scraper, and a draft rigging in front of the frame.

REX D. HAYCOCK.

ALMA L. TURNER. 

